Gargar () is a village in the

Lori Province Lori (, ) is a provinces of Armenia, province (''Administrative divisions of Armenia, marz'') of Armenia. It is located in the north of the country, bordering Georgia (country), Georgia. Vanadzor is the capital and largest city of the province. ...

Armenia Armenia, officially the Republic of Armenia, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of West Asia. It is a part of the Caucasus region and is bordered by Turkey to the west, Georgia (country), Georgia to the north and Azerbaijan to ...

History

The village was founded in 1790. After Lori became part of Tsarist Russia in 1801, many families abandoned their settlements and permanently inhabited the villages in Lori. The founding families of the village are the Kalashyans, Muradyans, Zalinyans and Harutyunyans.

Historical heritage sites

Amenaprkich

While escaping from their enemies during a war that ravaged their lands in the 19th century, a group of villagers took shelter in a small hut. Despite many attempts by the enemy to breach the hut, it stood intact. As a result of their miraculous survival, the villagers created this pilgrimage site and named it "Amenaprkitch" which essentially translates to "Savior of all." According to their folklore, every wish that you make here will come true.

Surp Nshan

According to their local history, "some pilgrims sat by the side of a road to rest while passing through this part of the village. One night one of the pilgrims dreamt that light descended from the sky upon this very place. The pilgrims returned to the exact location and built a shrine here, naming it “Sur Nshan” which translates to "Holy Sign".

Surp Hovhannes Church

Surp Hovhannes Church was built in 1905–1907; it was built by Greek and Armenian architects with the funds of the villagers. The church bell was brought from Tula, Russia and is still found in the church. Many typical religious rituals still take place in the church:

Christmastide Christmastide, also known as Christide, is a season of the liturgical year in most Christianity, Christian churches. For the Catholic Church, Lutheran Church, Anglican Church, Methodist Church and some Orthodox Churches, Christmastide begins ...

, baptisms, weddings, and so on.

Geography and climate

Gargar is located 1,400–1,500 meters above sea level. The Yerevan-Tbilisi highway crosses through the village. Climate conditions are favorable. The village is surrounded with high mountains, thick forests and they provide 50% of the village with drinking water. It is because of the lack of proper water pipes that the village is not secured with 100% drinking water. It is typically very cold in the winters, with mild temperatures in the summers.

Economy and culture

The village is rich with pastures and recently the villagers have also made use of the "''pordzadasht''", where people cultivate crops atypical to the surrounding territories such as broccoli, physalis, pattypan squash, etc. Villagers mostly cultivate potatoes and wheat, and farmers mostly produce milk, honey, eggs and wool. The village has a secondary school which is located in the kindergarten building. The community also has cultural house, which was renovated in 2011. There is a fully functioning first aid clinic, which was built with the help of

Red Cross The organized International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a Humanitarianism, humanitarian movement with approximately 16million volunteering, volunteers, members, and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ...

in the early 1990s. The village is close to the

Stepanavan Dendropark Officially Sochut Dendropark named after Edmund Leonowicz, commonly knowns as Stepanavan Dendropark (), is an arboretum located near the Gyulagarak village, Lori Province, Armenia. Located around north of the capital Yerevan, the park was foun ...

, which attracts local and foreign visitors.

Demographics

Gallery

Gargar Saint Hovhannes 11.jpg, Saint John church in Gargar, Lori 12.jpg, Հուշակոթող Երկրորդ աշխարհամարտում զոհվածներին, Լոռու մարզ, գ․Գարգառ - 01.jpg, Gargar Saint Hovhannes church 13.jpg,

Notable people

* (

Hrachya Ghaplanyan Drama Theatre Hrachya Ghaplanyan Drama Theatre () is a municipal theatre founded in 1967 by Hrachya Ghaplanyan. It is located in the Kentron district of Yerevan, on 28 Isahakyan Street. The theatre has toured Russia, the United States, Georgia, Bulgaria, ...

Yerevan Yerevan ( , , ; ; sometimes spelled Erevan) is the capital and largest city of Armenia, as well as one of the world's List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest continuously inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Yerev ...

is named after him) *

References

External links

* {{Portal bar, Geography Populated places in Lori Province